Machine for scrubbing inner side wall and bottom of cylindrical containers



MN QM NQ VQ Wm IIll wm wk 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Arthur F. Dar ah A. F. DARRAH MACHINE FOR SCRUBBING INNER SIDE WALL AND BOTTOM OF CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS Filed 001;. 27, 1948 Feb. 17, 1953 Feb. 17, 1953 A. F. DARRAH 2,628,379

- MACHINE FOR SCRUBBING INNER SIDE WALL AND BOTTOM OF CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 2?, 1948 2. SHEETSSHEET z Inventor Attorneys Arthur F, Dar/ah Patented Feb. 17,1953

O F E;

MACHINE FOR SCRUBBING INNER SIDE WALL AND BOTTOM OF CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS Arthur F. Dari-ah, Rochester, Vt.

Application October 27, 1948, Serial No. 56,796

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful im-' provements and structural refinements in washing machines for containers such as buckets, etc., commonly employed for storage of sap in sugar making, and the like, and the principal object of the invention is to facilitate cleaning of such containers with speed and convenience and with the expenditure of a minimum amount of labor.

This object is achieved by the provision of the washing machine which embodies in its construction what may be called an end brush anda plurality of side brushes which are engageable with the bottom and the side walls respectively of the container which is to be cleaned, the several brushes being mounted upon and driven by a suitable shaft which, in turn, is operatively connected to a convenient source of power, such as an electric motor, an internal combustion engine, and the like.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for mounting the side brushes in a manner which permits them to be swung inwardly and outwardly and thereby assure their proper contact with the lateral walls of containers of different diameters.

Another feature of the invention resides in the mounting of the end brush in such manner that it is projectable and retractible and is urged by resilient means to its projected position in proper engagement with the bottom of the container to be cleaned.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity of construction, convenience of operation, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention, the same being illustrated in a container shown by phantom lines;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in Figure 1, and

2 1 Figure 5 is a cross sectional view, takenlsubstantially in the plane-of the line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a. container scrubbing machine embodying in its construction a tube l2 which is rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing I4 provided in the side wall It of a washing tank, or the like, suitable means being employed for preventing the tube I2 from shifting axially while rotation thereof is facilitated. A shaft I8 is slidably positioned in the; tube l2, this being efiected by providing the shaft at one end with a collar 20 which is secured to the shaft and slidably engages the tube l2 as is illustrated in Figure 3. A plurality of the collars: 20 may be secured to the shaft I8 for this purpose, that is, for providing guides for the shaft in the tube, and it is to be noted that the shaft [8 projects outwardly from the tube l2, as indicated at 22.

The intermediate portion of the tube [2 is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed, longitudinally extending slots 24 and pairs ofguides 23 are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the tube H2 at the longitudinal edges of these slots, these guides coacting with the slots in forming guide means for the end portions of .a transverse pin 28 which is secured to the shaft l8 and projects outwardly from the tube, as is best shown in Figure 3.

Pairs of brackets-30 are also welded or-otherwise secured to the tube l2, and a pair of levers 32 are pivoted intermediately of their length to the brackets 39 as indicated at 34.

It will be noted that each of the levers 32 is I pivoted to a pair of the brackets 30, the two levers being disposed at the diametrically opposite sides of the tube l2, as will be clearly apparent.

Each of the levers 32 is pivoted at one end thereof as at 36 to a pair of links 38 and the two pairs of links are pivotally connected to the pro- Jecting end portions of the aforementioned pin 28, substantially as shown.

The remaining ends of the levers 32 carry a pair of what may be referred to as side brushes 40, this being effected by clamping the brushes in U-shaped holders 42 which, in turn, are provided with pairs of spaced brackets 44 so that they may be pivotally attached to the respective levers 32 as indicated at 46.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the shaft I8 is 511d in the tube I! in the direction of the arrow 48 in Figure 1 the brushes 40, by virtue of the linkage 32, 38 will be retracted or swung inwardly toward the tube 12, as indicated by the phantom line 50. A pair of tension springs 52 are anchored as at 54 to the levers 32 and thereby urge the brushes 46 to the retracted position, as will be clearly understood. However, by sliding the shaft [8 with respect to the tube "('2 in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 48, the brushes 40 will be urged into frictional engagement with the circumferential wall of a container or bucket 56 such as may be applied to the inachi'ne'for purposes of cleaning.

The sliding of the shaft I8 in the tube l2 may be effected in any convenient manner, such as for example by means of a fork 58 operatively connected as at 60 to a collar or bearing 62 secured to the shaft [8, the fork 58 being suitably pivoted as at 64 and being operatively connected as at to a controlling push rod 68 whereby the sliding of the shaft I8 may be efi'ected'by an operator of the machine standing adjacent the container 55.

The *bottom of the container 56 is engageable for cleaning purposes by'a further brush which may becalled an end brush 10, this being similar to the *side brushes 40 and being clamped in aa U- shaped holder 12 which, in turn, is provided with ashank 14. This shank is projectable and retractable in an end portion of the tube I2, to which end it may be provided with a collar '56,

similar to the aforementioned collar 20 on the shaft l8. -A transverse pin 18 extends through the shank l4 and collar 76 and projects outward- -ly through further diametrically opposed slots 80 with which the tube 12 is provided, the projecting end portions of this pin carrying a pair of washers 82 and serve as anchor points for a pair of tension springs Which are anchored at tion of the arrow 88 in Figure 3, whereby the end brush will be urged in contact with the bottom of the'container 56.

The invention may be driven by means of a pulley (not shown) secured to either the shaft 18 orthe tube l2, and it will be apparent from the foregoing that the brushes and 40 will properly clean and engage the entire container, notwithstandingits diameter or size.

"It-is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at'this point-is deemed unnecessary While in the foregoing there has beenshown of a rotatable tube provided intermediate the ends thereof with a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinally extending slots, a drive shaft slidable in said tube, a transverse pin provided intermediate the ends of said drive shaft and projecting outwardly through said slots, two pairs of spaced brackets secured at diametrically opposite sides to said tube adjacent the slots, a pair of angulated levers each having its intermediate portion pivotally mounted between a pair of said brackets for swinging toward and away from said tube, a pair of side scrubbing brushes pivoted intermediatev the ends thereof to the respective levers at one end of the latter, two pairs of links pivoted at one end thereof to the respective levers at the other end of the lat-. ter, the links in each pair extending to opposite sides of said tube and being fulcrumed at opposite end portions of said pin,.a pair of tension springs disposed at opposite sides of said tube and an- --chored to said levers at points between said brackets and said side scrubbing brushes whereby to swing the latter inwardly, means for sliding said shaft in said tube for swinging the side scrubbing brushes outwardly against the action of said springs, a shank rotatable with and slidable in one end portion of the tube and projecting outwardly therefrom, a bottom scrubbing brush secured intermediate the ends thereof to the outer end of said shank and disposed perpendicularly to the tube, and resilient means for urging said shank outwardly from said tube.

ARTHUR F. DARRAH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 695,828 Nelson Mar. 18, 1902 977,385 Graves Nov. 29, 1910 1,275,025 Herr Aug. '6, 1918 1,322,439 Herr Nov. 18', 1919 1,542,689 Frankland et a1. June 16, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 558,375 Germany Sept; 6, 1932 

